


Hope (Soma x Reader)

by Vladimira121



Category: God Eater (Video Games)
Genre: Anime, F/M, Fanfiction, Loss of Virginity, Multi, Reader-Insert, Romance, Violence, god eater burst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-06-15 17:05:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15417576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vladimira121/pseuds/Vladimira121
Summary: The reader shares the same past as Soma. Only, she lost both her parents during a separate experiment relating to the managram program. There is something else however, that makes her all the more unique. As God eaters have enhanced abilities to fight and devour aragami, she has an ability of her own to control, or be protected by the aragami.Despite this, the reader grows up and falls in love with Soma, who faintly thinks of her as family. He does acknowledge her for going through the same thing as him, so being seen together with her is no surprise. He does care for the reader, only to a certain extent.Even so, when one mistake between them occurs, their worlds will either come together, or fall apart, for their son.





	1. 1 (Reader POV)

Johannes placed Soma down on the floor beside me, his eyes in a daze after reading over an old report. Soma stared at me, watching me hug his bear tightly. Johannes turned his blank gaze to me. "Stay with him, (Y/n)."

"Ok." My small voice replied. Without another word, he left back to his desk, to completely ignore us again. Soma took back his bear, staring at me curiously. I merely stared back, a small smile on my lips. I was young like Soma, but somehow, my mind was growing and gaining knowledge much quicker than him. He reached out to me, trailing his small hand over my cheek. I giggled. He does this when he thinks of his mother.

"Mama..." He whispered faintly. He moved closer to hug me, whispering 'mama' again. The worn bear, now abandoned, was tossed aside as Soma wrapped his arms around me. At times like this, I would only hug him back, pressing my cheek against his. Maybe I do look like his mom, maybe I don't. All I know is, I like Soma, I love him. I want to hug him, care for him, and be there for him. He lost his mom, and I lost mine. We have something in common already. I closed my eyes, hugging him as closely as I can. "Mama..."

Years later~

"Soma! Are you leaving again?" I asked as I barged into his room again. He wrapped his coat around him, briefly glancing at me from over his shoulder. I tilt my head at his silence, eyes wide and curious. So he was leaving.

"Go play somewhere else." He walked passed me, muttering those words. I frowned, following him out. He was quick in his step, hands in his pockets as he tried to ignore my skipping. I skipped behind him as I followed him. Like always, I would follow him till I can't no longer. Since he's been able, he began training to use his god arc, and recieved missions to defeat the aragami.

I on the other hand, am a different case in which my compatibility rate is too high for a regular god arc. To this day, Dr. Sakaki has no idea how to go about my situation, despite the armlet on my wrist. We stopped before the elevator, and Soma pressed a button. I peeked at him from the corner of my eye, watching him as he blankly stared at the door. "Soma, what's your mission this time?"

"...You'll find out soon enough." He entered the elevator when it opened, pressing another button after I hopped inside. I swayed on my feet, occasionally humming a tune in and out of my mind. Soma said nothing as the elevator moved past the floors. This saddened me, but it was the norm now. We arrived at the executive section and stopped before the director's office. The office belonging to Soma's father.

I had mix feelings for the man, since he now looks at us differently. Soma had already noticed this, and his personality had been altered all the more from his father's treatment. Losing his mother, believing he's the reason for her death, was already enough on him. The door opened and we stepped inside. Johannes was seated at his desk, looking at a screen when he glanced at us. I stood behind Soma, since I wasn't called. "You have another mission, regarding a specific aragami I want you to hunt and retrieve it's core, Soma."

The way he spoke to Soma, as if he was just another God eater in the den, made me want to frown. I glanced at Soma, who merely stared at him indifferently. If my parents were alive, I wouldn't want this kind of relationship. What's the point of having a family if you won't act the part?

"That is all, you're dismissed." With those final words, Soma turned on his heel. I was quick to follow him, missing the way the director smiled secretly at my back.

Soma stopped before the elevator, pressing a button. "...I said to go play somewhere else."

"I don't want to play, I want to be with you." I pouted, following him inside the elevator. He merely huffed, deciding to stay quiet for the rest of the time. Like always. I stood closer to him this time, and laid my head on his shoulder. He did nothing, nor did he push me away. We reached a floor where all the god arcs were waiting for their wielders, and walked past a few that stood up from the contraptions holding them. Soma grabbed his, the god arc became one with him at the contact of his armlet.

I watched him lay it over his shoulder and stared at the large weapon as he led the way to the entrance. I thought I wanted to become a god eater, but after realizing what it was like out there, I decided to stay put. Once we reached the Den's entrance, Soma abruptly turned my way. "Alright, you can go now."

I smiled amusingly, unfazed by his stern stare. "Come back safely. Be careful out there."

"Hmph." He turned away, leaving the den. I sighed as the door closed before me and thought about him. Soma was a strong, young god eater with a sad past. Everyone here looked at him as if he was something else entirely. It bothered me to no end, how people can not see past his facade and not realize the burden on his shoulders. He was still a 12 year old boy, and still growing, with an ability to protect humanity and devour the aragami.

I went to sit at the lounge nearby, watching the den entrance for his return. Since he became a god eater, I would wait for him to return from his missions, and greet him with a bright smile. At first, he wasn't enthusiastic about me waiting for him. Eventually he decided to leave me be, since I wouldn't stop simply from him telling me to do so.

When Soma finally returned from his mission, with Lindow and Tsubaki leading the way, I ran to greet them. "Welcome back!"

"Hey! You've been waiting the whole time for Soma, huh?" Lindow smiled my way as he threw out a cigarette. He glanced at the said man. "If only he looked more happy..."

I grinned his way and hugged Soma's shoulders, earning a grunt from him. "I missed you Soma! Welcome back."

"You say that every time, drop it already." Soma nearly groaned and gently shook me off. I giggled and followed him back to his room. His room was a mess, and void of care. He threw himself against the couch, resting his head back. When I sat beside him and laid my head over shoulder, he closed his eyes. "Go play somewhere else."

"I don't want to play, I want to be with you." I replied, closing my eyes as well. When he said nothing, I reached out to intertwine our hands. His fingers twitched, but he did nothing to prevent it, nor push me away. I smiled softly, squeezing the limb affectionately. "And I'll always be with you, even when we're apart."

"...Just be quiet." Soma muttered, turning his head away. He sounded sleepy. I chuckled lightly, deciding to sleep with him. 'I'll always be with you, I promise.'


	2. 2 (Reader POV)

I woke with a start, flinching from something falling to the ground. I sat up from the couch, tiredly shifting my eyes to Soma, who picked up a chair with his leg. His coat wrapped around him as he pulled it on, his stoic eyes turning to me from over his shoulder. "About time you woke up..."

"I wonder, how you woke up before me, when I was the first to sleep this time?" I yawned, a tired, amused smile on my face. I felt my neck, an ache coming on from sleeping badly on it. I adjusted my shirt, my chest nearly developed from years of growth. Soma has also grown taller, more muscled... Makes me blush each time at how much more handsome he's become too at only sixteen. 

Soma huffed in response, turning away to the door. "I'm leaving."

"Wait, you're leaving already?" I hurried after him as he approached the elevator door, pressing a button. Words spread out yesterday about Lindow becoming the leader of his unit. Supposedly there will be less casualties due to his leadership. Sakuya had also joined a while ago, the first unit was indeed a team of exceptional God eaters. "I heard Lindow is pretty well acknowledge around here. I wonder how he managed defeat an ouroboros all by himself..."

"I don't care." Soma muttered as he got in the elevator. I followed after him, watching him carefully. He's grown more annoyed over the years, but he spoke more, which was good. "As long as they stay out of my way..."

"Yeah yeah, and if they don't want to die, they have to stay out of your way too." I rolled my eyes. When Soma glared at my teasing, I merely moved closer and rested my head on his shoulder. To this day, he has not pushed me away. Upon arriving at the Den's entrance, Soma approached the supervisor, who was Lindow's sister now. "Hello Tsubaki!"

"(Y/n), good to see you. Soma, you have another mission to go on your own. Accept the mission from Hibari." She motioned to the girl at the her desk, typing away.

I followed Soma, after briefly waving to her and watched him accept his mission. Hibari gave him some instructions as I looked towards the screens behind me. The outer ghetto had lost some people after the attack a few days ago. It made me frown.

"...Out of the way." I gasped when Soma gently shoved me aside. He looked irritated. "I'm leaving, go somewhere instead of just sitting there doing nothing."

"I'm not doing nothing, I'm waiting for you to come back. Do come back safely." I gave him a sweet smile as he readied himself before the elevator. He grunted, closing his eyes to avoid my cheerful gaze. Once the elevator had taken him away, I sat at the lounge, like I've done all these years past.

Tsubaki noticed this, and placed a drink at the table beside me. "Here."

"Ah, thank you!" I happily accepted the ration.

"You're always waiting for him, I'm glad Soma has someone like you to look after him." Tsubaki said as she adjusted the clipboard in her hand. "Soma has opened up a little, from what I've noticed over the years, thanks to you."

"I'm only being there for him..." I murmured, opening the can. A silent smile covered my face. We've always been together, "I decided to stay by his side, no matter what."

"That's good, keep at it." She smiled before going back to work. I drank the ration, watching the elevator like always, waiting for Soma to return. Despite Soma recently asking me to stop doing this, he has yet taken an aggressive approach. Secretly, I knew he didn't mind someone constantly waiting for him to come back, like a family member would. Speaking of family, the director had been sending Soma on missions searching for a specific core of an aragami. My grip on the can tightened a little. Soma has been going out more, barely taking breaks.

When he finally returned, it was nearly evening. I was sleeping peacefully with a blanket over my shoulders. Hibari glanced at him as he came out the elevator. "Welcome back. (Y/n) has been waiting for you again. She even fell asleep..." She said as she looked towards me.

"Tch, I told her to stop..." Soma walked over to my form, staring down at my tired state. He glared softly, hearing me murmur in my sleep. He then reached out to carry me, careful not to wake me up. Hibari watched with wide eyes as he carried me back to his room. When he placed me over his bed, he scowled. "Beds exist for a reason, why did you stay out there?"

I slept peacefully despite his words, snuggling the blanket closer. He sighed, moving to lay beside me. His arms rested beneath his head when eventually, he felt me shift closer to him. He closed his eyes, listening to the low rhythm of my calm breathing. It always put him at ease. In the back of his mind, he remembered always being put to bed with you after his father would work long hours. His father... He scowled once again. He's been going on missions, searching for a unique aragami with a core that he desperately needed for the ark project. He let out a long sigh, feeling me press closer against him. He was used to me doing this in my sleep, not that he ever minded. The warm comfort helped with his loneliness. With that in mind, he fell to a dreamless sleep.


	3. 3 (Reader POV)

I woke up finding my arm wrapped around Soma's, well our hands were intertwined. He was still sleeping, snoring lightly. I smiled warmly. I may have done this in my sleep again. I pulled off the blanket, setting it aside, and glancing at the thrown clock. Judging by the time, he may have came earlier in the evening. I rubbed my eyes, turning back to him. His face when he sleeps, was irresistible. He looked so innocent. And like I've always done over the years, I leaned down and planted a light kiss on his cheek. Just before he could wake, I moved away in time to see his eyes lazily open. His scowl made me giggle. "Welcome back, Soma."

"It's too late for that. I told you not to stay there..." He stood from the bed, moving around his room.

I yawned and stood up with him. "Still, I'm glad you're back safely. How did it go?"

"...I didn't find the target, that's all." Soma grunted, sitting at the couch.

"Really now? How long has this been going on?" I sighed, sitting down with him. I intertwined our fingers, leaning close to him. He did not mind. For a while now, he's been coming up empty with his target. I didn't know what aragami the director was sending him to find and extract it's core, but they seem pretty good at hiding. "It's like you're on a wild goose chase."

"Whatever. Did you eat?" His fingers twitched irritably when he heard my stomach growl. "You idiot..."

I chuckled nervously at his deep scowl and followed him out the room. We managed to grab something from the cafeteria and sat down to eat our rations. The corn on a cob was a bit hard to chew, causing my brows to narrow. I knew times were hard, but how were we suppose to eat this?!

Soma quirked a brow at my attempt to chew the food. He had already finished. "You're done yet?"

"Well, no but-never mind, yeah." I gave up, throwing out the leftovers. I decided to chug a few drinks and call it a night. Soma said nothing as we went back to his room. As usual, he laid back on his couch, as I went to the terminal. I looked through my email, noticing a message from Dr. Sakaki. After reading the contents, I decided to pay him a visit. It seems the doctor finally figured out something with my case. "Soma, I have to go to Sakaki..."

Soma glanced at me, eyeing me suspiciously. "For what?"

"Something about my armlet... Anyway, I'll be back!" I quickly left before he could say more and headed to the laboratory. Upon arriving, the doctor was busy typing away at his computer, not looking at me when I entered the room. I much liked the doctor, he was kinder and more open minded. "Hello Sakaki!"

"Ah! I'm glad you came as soon as possible. You're not tired are you? This may take a while..." He briefly glanced at me to smile and returned to the screens.

"I'm not, exactly... What is it?" I sat at the couch, watching him finally turn to me. His light smile had me feel at ease, despite what he wanted to talk about.

"You know for some reason, we can't seem to find out a way for you to become compatible with any god arcs whatsoever correct? Well, I found out, from what I can decipher from the tests taken, your bias factor is immensely different from the others. Instead of devouring, it controls or even nurtures you." He explained. I was lost. The bias factor kept god eaters from being devoured by their own god arc. Wouldn't it be a good thing for me? "If you weren't injected with the bias factor, instead of a god arc devouring you at contact, it'll act on its own to protect you. It's a bit hard to explain, but the project your parents were working on, had done something to you to prevent you from ever being eaten in the first place."

I pursed my lips at the mention of them. I never got to know them, since they died on the spot the moment something went wrong with the experiment. I glanced at my armlet, eyeing it blankly. "I see. So, what do you have in mind with this information?"

"I was hoping to test things out... Of course, I will have a god eater at present to make sure nothing goes wrong. I'd like you to help me on this personal research project of mine, since you can shift things around for me, even for humanity." He stopped typing for a second, eyeing me hopefully.

I always did wondered what exactly was so special about me. But preventing me from being eaten from the aragami? That's a bit, unbelievable. I gave him a smile nonetheless. "Sure, when do I start?"

"Oh great! Tomorrow we can go out. I'll have someone accompany us outside the den. We'll start out small, and see how it goes." He assured, typing frantically over the keyboards now. I gave him a sheepish smile, saying my good night until tomorrow.

When I walked out the room, I spotted Soma waiting there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He looked up when I came close to his side. "Soma! Sorry I took long... How long were you waiting?"

"What were you talking about?" He asked instead. I pouted, but reluctantly explained what happened. He glared suddenly. I think the idea of Sakaki using me for his personal project rubbed him the wrong way. When I mentioned about going out with him tomorrow, his scowl deepened. "Don't, it's dangerous out there."

"We'll be with a god eater or two so it should be fine. Maybe you'll be there." I followed after him when he turned away. "Won't you come with? Or will you be off on another mission?"

"Doesn't matter, don't go." He grumbled, entering the elevator with me. He leaned against the wall, resting his head back.

I sighed, but smiled. "You know, I know you enjoy seeing me waiting for you every time you come back from your mission, but I thought I figure out why exactly I can't get a god arc-"

"I never said that, don't make things up." He glared to my amusement. We arrived at his room, he went immediately to sit at the couches. When I sat with him, he warned me once more. "Just forget about it. Stay here."

I smiled at his worry. I leaned into him, resting against him. "I'll be fine Soma. Don't worry, I'll be back before you come from your mission, so I'll be waiting for your return."

"...Shut up." He turned away, his eyes closing. I held back a chuckle, closing my eyes with him.


	4. 4 (Reader POV)

Apparently Soma wasn't able to join us, as we traveled out the den. Sakaki sat with Sakuya in the front, as she drove the truck towards the city of Mercy. I sat in the trunk, watching the deserted scenery go by. I began to wonder what exactly the doctor was expecting from today's experiment. What will he have me do? Walk up to humanity's greatest enemy and chat? I hope not, I'd probably pass out on the spot. I rubbed my eyes when sand and dust got into them. Hopefully, Sakaki will indeed find a breakthrough with what he's working on.

The city of Mercy came into view, and Sakuya parked the truck at a safe distance. She glanced at me from the rear view mirror. "Hey, time to get ready."

When I hopped out, I examined the abandoned buildings. I wonder what the world was like back then. Sakaki exited the car, smiling in my direction. The laptop in his hand had files and other documents shown on the screen. "Ok, I found out a lone orgetail was around here. That'll be our target for today."

Sakuya stood beside me, her eyes held concern for me. "Doc, I'm not exactly sure what you plan to do out here, but why bring her?"

"Oh, you must already know, (Y/n) has an odd case with her armlet. She can't use a god arc, nor is compatible them. After some intensive testing, I found out she can't devour aragami, but control them." Sakaki explained, typing away at his computer and leading the way.

Sakuya widened her eyes. I'm not surprised, it sounds unbelievable. "How is that possible? So, we're out here to check if it's true?"

"That is correct." We heard a roar in the distance, Sakaki smiled wittingly. "There they are~"

Sakuya got into position before us, readying her god arc. "What now?"

"Do you have a visual?" Sakaki asked, looking into the distance. The roar sounded again, causing a shudder through me. I don't like this. "Ah! There it is!"

I followed his gaze, spotting the aragami walking by a boulder. I gulped. "So, you want me to get closer?"

"That's right, your blood has been modified by your parents to prevent you from being eaten. The aragami won't consider you as food. Well, hopefully they won't..." Sakaki typed on his computer, then glanced at the aragami. "Alright, go ahead (Y/n). Sakuya will cover you."

"Doc, I think this is too dangerous..." Sakuya murmured as I walked past them. "If something happens to her, Soma will-"

"I know, but nothing will happen to her." Sakaki watched me determinedly, eyeing the aragami with caution, and curiosity. Sakuya glanced at him, then returned her gaze to the orgetail.

My breathing was irregular as I approached the aragami. It hadn't noticed me, busying himself with whatever he found on the ground, and chewing on it. My eyes wavered. I can't do this, it was scary for me. When I took a step back, a stone rolled to the side.

The orgetail noticed, then turned it's feral gaze to me. I panted, eyes widening in fear as it growled. "S-s-sakuya!"

"Move (Y/n)!" Sakuya called out.

"No wait!" Sakaki grabbed her shoulder, stopping her from pulling the trigger.

'Wait? Wait for what? Myself being devoured?!' I thought, walking backwards. The aragami trotted towards me, his jaws wide. "Sakuya!"

"Sakaki!" Sakuya yelled when he held her back.

"Look! It's not attacking!" He motioned to the monster, watching it stand before me when I tripped.

I shivered at its large face leaning closer, then sniff me. It nudged my face, turning it this way and that, then giving it a long lick. "What-?"

"-is going on?" Sakuya said under her breath. She watched the scene with wide eyes, as the orgetail seem to purr in my presence.

Sakaki was typing frantically over his laptop. "This is incredible! Unbelievable! I knew (Y/n) could do it!"

I was barely listening to Sakaki, staring in shock at the aragami, who eventually laid down in front of me. It licked my leg, my stomach, then my arm. With shaking hands, I reached out to pet him. It purred, leaning into my touch, then laid it's large head on my lap. It was heavy. "Oh my god..."

Sakuya shook her head. "I can't believe this... Doc, what is she?"

"She... Is hope." Sakaki glanced at me with a hopeful, relieved smile. Sakuya stared at me, then sweat-dropped when I passed out.

-X-

When we returned to the den, Sakuya brought me to my room, pulling a blanket over me. She stared at my sleeping form in wonder, still wrapping her head around what happened earlier in the day. She left me alone, looking for Sakaki.

Sakaki was typing away and updating some files when she arrived. "Ah! Hello Sakuya! I was just getting things organized and ready to be looked over. Was there something you wanted to ask?"

"I have so many questions, but I doubt it'll help at the moment. (Y/n)... She was controlling the aragami?" She asked, sitting at the couch.

"One could say that. Although, it didn't seem like it. She was panicking on the inside, I know that, so 'controlling' wouldn't be the word I'd use." He explained.

Sakuya rubbed her face. "So, what was she doing?"

"More like, what was the aragami was doing? From what we saw, she merely walked up to it. It was the aragami itself that sensed, or smelled, her presence and reacted. However, why it reacted is the real question. I'm currently going through the database to see if I can find anything that her parents were working on, that may shine some light on the situation. Until then, I can only speculate and form theories from what happen." Sakaki stopped his typing to look at her.

Sakuya had a slight frown on her face. "She lost her parents, right? I'm glad she's sort of moved on. She's a great girl."

"Indeed. Thanks again for accompanying us, Sakuya. I plan to do more excursions in the future, I'd like it if you came along..." Sakaki gave her his usual smile.

Sakuya took a deep breath, thinking it over. "Sure, today was surprising... I don't know if I still believe what I saw, but I do want to see what else (Y/n) can do."

"Great! I look forward to our next adventure then!" Sakaki smiled happily, nodding when Sakaki left the room. His smile remained, although mysterious. "I wonder how Soma would take this..."


	5. 5 (Reader POV)

Soma returned to the den, eyeing his surroundings from underneath his hood. He didn't see me waiting for him at my usual spot, causing him to scowl. Hibari glanced at him from her computer. "Welcome back, Soma. If you're looking for (Y/n), she returned with Dr. Sakaki and Sakuya 2 hours ago. She was asleep from what I saw."

"Asleep?" Soma scowled further.

"I don't know all the details, Sakuya may fill you in though. I believe she's with the doctor." Hibari suggested.

Soma went to the elevator, pressing the button. He wondered what happened, for you to be passed out for this long. When the door opened, his eyes widened at the sight of me. I gave him a sheepish smile. "I'm too late, huh? Welcome back though!" I swung my arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly.

Soma sighed after a moment, then entered the elevator. I blinked when he pulled me with him, then pressed a button to the Rookies' section. He pulled me to his room, then locked his door. He glared when he turned to me. "What happened?"

"Huh? You mean about the mission? Ah, um, how should I explain this... I'm still confused on what happened actually..." I began, scratching my head. I still didn't understand what happened. I was in a daze while everything happened. Shock, fear, bewilderment... So many emotions roamed my head and face while the aragami seem to... Nuzzle me? I shook my head. "The doc can better explain it."

"I'm asking you, what happened?" Soma grabbed my arms. "You passed out? Were you harmed?"

"No! I mean, everything was surprising! I just passed out from shock. I'm alright, really!" I grabbed his coat, trying to calm him down. I understood his concern, but no harm came to me. Maybe me not waiting for him at my usual spot had triggered this behavior. I smiled sadly. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you came you back."

Some huffed, letting me go. He turned on his heel. "I don't care. Let's go eat."

"Yeah! I'm starving!" I hurried after him, smiling bright.

-X-

After I had my meal with Soma, we returned to his room to relax. Soma sat at the couch, as I went to the terminal. I wondered if Sakaki looked into my case. As I looked through my email, Soma called out to me. "What are you doing?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm just checking if Sakaki sent me anything. He's probably too busy to send me an email, I'll go check on him..." When I turned off the terminal, Soma was already behind me. I flinched. "S-soma?"

"No, rest. You can talk with him tomorrow." He said sternly, grabbing my hand. He led me to the bed, shutting out the lights, then laid beside me. I stared at him through the dark, watching his silhouette stretch and get comfortable. I said nothing, and pulled my blanket close.

I glanced at the broken clock, it was still early in the evening. "Soma, are you sleepy?"

He merely grunted in response. I moved closer, resting my head on his chest. He didn't push me away, only breathed deeply. "How did your mission go?"

"Nothing happened." His reply was short, hinting me to stop talking. I held back a sigh, moving to hold his hand. I clasped his warm hand in mine, feeling it's rough texture. Soma's calm breathing made me smile. I truly loved him, secretly though. I doubt Soma would return my feelings easily, despite always being together. I sighed. Soma shifted beneath me. "What is it?"

"Soma, have you ever thought about having kids?" I asked hopefully. Soma always has something on his mind, maybe this had crossed his mind at least once.

"Why are you asking that?" He sighed, clearly uninterested about the subject.

"I'm only asking. Have you?" He shifted again, moving on his side. His arm wrapped around my waist. I blushed. "Soma?"

"Just be quiet." A small yawn escaped his lips. His breath tickled me, causing a giggle from me. "Go to sleep."

"Ok, good night." I smiled amusingly, cuddling closer to him.

-X-

When I woke up, Soma was getting ready, adjusting his coat. I sat up with a yawn, rubbing my eyes. "Where are you going?"

"On a mission, where else?" I hopped off the bed, following him out his room. When he stopped at elevator, he glanced at me. "Are you going out again?"

"I don't know, I haven't checked with Sakaki." I shrugged, entering the elevator. "Um, about yesterday, I petted an aragami..."

"WHAT?" Soma turned to me with wide eyes. I took a deep breath, explaining what I could to him. Soma listened, though his scowl deepened at the end. He pressed a button on the elevator, and it jolt to life.

"Um, Soma? What are you doing?" The elevator opened to the laboratory, Soma stepped out briskly. I hurried after him. "Soma?"

"Shut it, (Y/n)." He silenced me with a glare, sending a shiver down my spine. 'Why is he angry?'

Sakaki was just collecting some paperwork when Soma entered his office. "Ah! Soma and (Y/n)! I was just about to go find you. I was hoping we can go out again and try out another experiment!"

"Experiment? What are you planning Sakaki?" Soma stood before him.

"Hmm? Didn't (Y/n) tell you? Aragami won't attack her. Well, the orgetail species won't. I was planning on testing her with some Zygotes this time." He glanced at me with his usual smile.

"Zygotes? You're exposing (Y/n) to danger for your experiment?" Soma clenched his fists.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Soma, why don't you come along with us? The orgetail was treating me nicely last time. Maybe the Zygotes will too."

"You do know these are ARAGAMI we're dealing with?" Soma glared at this time. "Who knows what will happen."

"That's why you're going to make sure nothing happens! Come on, Soma! They're only Zygotes, you can take them. Besides, I want to see if I can tame them too. Or, whatever I'm doing..." I glanced at my hands.

Sakaki cleared his throat. "Soma, I understand you're worried about her, but this could be a chance to turn things around for the world."

"I never said anything like that, so shut up Sakaki." He grumbled under his breath.

"Then it's settled! Let's get ready and head out. I'll meet you two by the entrance." Sakaki wasn't fazed at all by Soma's reply, and walked past us.

I hugged my arms. "Soma-"

"You are to listen to me while we're out there, alright?" Soma faced me with stern eyes. "I don't care what Sakaki has planned, or what the hell you're able to do with the aragami. This world is as shitty as the many people dying everyday. You got that?"

When I nodded, he turned on his heel. "Let's go."


	6. 6

A memory came to mind, or more like a thought. How the orgetail wasn't responding to its natural instinct of devouring when it came to me, was a mystery. But I began to wonder, what was inside me, for it to behave the way it did. The first thought that came to mind, was the core. If it was possible, what if the core was injected, or digested within me? It could explain why the orgetail didn't consider me as food, but to treat me the way it did?

These thoughts roamed my mind as we rode in the truck to the tranquil temple. I huddled closer to Soma, pulling my coat closer to me. Sakuya joined us again, looking forward to seeing if what Sakaki says is true. The man was looking over some old data, as he explained how I'm immune of devourment from the aragami. Hopefully, it would be a breakthrough for this world, and a new era between aragami and humanity.

Soma let out a sigh, his breath came out as a cloud from the weather. Feeling his muscles beside me, he was tense. A playful smile crossed my lips, before I planted a peck on his cheek.

Soma looked at me with wide eyes. "What are you doing?"

"You seem tense, I thought I could mess with you and lighten the mood." I giggled at his scowl. He muttered not to do it again, and that my concern wasn't needed. Still, I couldn't help wanting to do it.

Sakuya glanced at us from the rearview mirror. "You guys ok back there? We're almost there."

"Just drive." Soma replied, leaning his head back. I laid my head on his shoulder, now hearing his calm breathing. It made me smile, my peck worked.

-X-

When we arrived, we exited the vehicle and walked deeper into the temple. I held Soma's hand, clutching it tightly in my grip. He sighed. "We could turn back you know."

"I'm not scared, I'm just cold." My pout made him roll his eyes.

There was a rumble, Sakuya stopped Sakaki from walking ahead. "Did you hear that?"

I moved away when Soma readied his god arc. "It's near."

Sakaki looked around, his laptop dimmed over his arm. "Ok (Y/n), walk ahead a little. Soma, stay close to her."

"No need to tell me." Soma grabbed my arm, pulling me with him. His low voice only reached my ears. "Remember to listen to me, alright?"

"Yeah." I nodded, despite the shiver through me. Soma was tense again, causing me to stiffen. If he's not calm, how can I?

We stopped some distance away, waiting for our target. I shivered from the cold, rubbing my arms. Soma glanced at me, when the Zygote crashed through a wall. Soma shielded me from the debris, wrapping his arms around me and jumping away from it.

Sakuya readied her god arc as Sakaki stood behind her, analyzing the situation. "Well, nice of it to crash by."

"Tch, damn aragami..." Soma grumbled under his breath as he let me go. I looked past him as the Zygote roared at our presence. However, it wasn't attacking. My eyes widened, Soma glared at it. "What's it doing Sakaki?"

Sakaki was watching it, moving this way and that, eyeing them and us. "I think it's searching for (Y/n)..."

"You think?" Sakuya made a face as it took in great puffs of cold air. "Is it... Sniffing around for her?"

"That may be the case. They don't know what she looks like, but her scent is all over us, since she's been near us. It explains how confused it looks, doesn't it?" Sakaki explained as he typed on his laptop.

"Um, should I get close?" I timidly glanced at Sakaki, who nodded in return. I took a deep breath, moving before Soma. The man shifted his god arc, aiming for the aragami if it moved to attack.

The aragami growled my way, lowering to the ground. I stopped for a moment, when I noticed it... Quivering? It was shaking, almost like it was holding back. Sakaki noticed this, his lips parted at the sight. "(Y/n), move away."

"What-?" My eyes widened and my heart nearly stopped when the Zygote opened its jaws before me. For a moment, everything stopped, or moved in slow motion. The aragami was charging, Sakuya's bullet was slowly deployed, Sakaki's mouth widening in shock. Then, Soma's blade quickly slashing the aragami in half.

The bullet pierced it after it had already fell to the ground. Soma panted angrily, turning to face me. I was still in shock, staring at the Zygote. I was nearly eaten. "(Y/n), you alright? (Y/n)?" Soma shook my shoulders, trying to grab my attention.

"Oh my, that was close. Are you alright (Y/n)?" Sakaki called out to me.

Sakuya was by my side with him. "(Y/n)? Are you Ok?"

"(Y/n)!" Soma yelled, shaking me violently.

I shook my head. "What-?! Huh?!"

"Don't just stay stuck like that! What's wrong?" Soma glared, tightening his hold on my shoulders.

"Thank goodness. (Y/n), how do you feel?" Sakuya asked after sighing in relief.

"I'm..." I glanced at Zygote. I was nearly eaten. I couldn't tell if my heart was beating rapidly, or simply still. Apparently my life didn't flash before my eyes, I would have appreciated seeing what my parents did to me in the past.

Soma glared at Sakaki. "We're not doing this again. Let's get out of here."

Sakaki didn't say anything, watching me carefully. Sakuya rubbed my back before walking ahead with the doctor. Soma stood behind with me, after they had left, and lift a hand to my cheek. "Hey, you Ok?"

I nodded slowly, closing my eyes and leaning into his touch. Soma's hand was warm, his thumb lightly brushed against me. It felt nice. He was only this affectionate when we were completely alone, knowing no one was watching or hearing us. I sighed against his coat when he brought us closer, warming me all the more. "I'm ok now."

"We're not doing this again, understand? I don't care what Sakaki says, you're not being put to danger for some experiment." His stern words faded away as I listened to his heart beat. From the sound of it, it was just calming down. It must have shocked him when the Zygote charged. He was probably scared of losing me.

I tightened my arms around his back. Soma stopped talking, as I cuddled closer to him, taking in his masculine scent. It felt so good to be near him. My nose rested against his open neck, along with my lips. He was so warm.

Soma did nothing to stop me. The weather to him was the perfect excuse to hold me closer. His head rested against mine, before our cheeks glided together to face each other. Our eyes met, our noses brushed as we stared. Right now, was a good opportunity for me. To show him, how important he was to me, how much I cared and loved him. Without another moment to spare, I brushed our lips together.

His lips were dry from the cold, but his tongue... I was surprised he didn't back away, rebuking the intimate contact of my lips, then growling at me. No, he welcomed me and returned my kiss. I nearly teared, as our passionate kisses became more eager and desperate.

We stopped however, when another rumble was heard. We moved away, panting and looking into each other's eyes. I held back my smile, only tightened the hold on his hand when he grabbed mines, and followed him back to the truck.


	7. 7

We returned to the den, Hibari glanced at us from her computer. "Welcome back. How was it out there?"

"I'd say the same as usual~" Sakaki casually replied as he walked by. Sakuya stopped by her desk, in case she had a mission to do. The first unit has been going out a lot since Lindow's leadership.

Soma and I continued to his room, holding hands and not speaking a word. Even when we entered the elevator, we stared at the door, waiting for it to reach our floor. As soon as we entered his room, Soma locked the door and turned to me. His sudden embrace made me gasp, before his lips soon covered my own. I shuddered when he hugged me flushed against him, his hands occasionally roamed my curves before settling over my waist.

When I broke away for air, he led me to his bed, laying me down and crawling over me. I panted, half fearing he planned to have his way, half wanting him immediately. Our waists brushed against each other, along with our lips. My arms wrapped around his neck, as his hands wrapped my legs around his waist.

"Soma..." I moaned out his name when his lips trailed to my neck. He licked a spot, before facing me with heated eyes. The look he gave me... It made me shudder again. I cupped his face, smiling wide. "I love you."

His eyes widened a fraction, his lips parted at my words. Knowing him, it would be hard to say those words in return. I held back a giggle, pecking him out of his trance. He blinked a few times, then closed his eyes. He buried his face in my neck, his nose tickled me as he took in my scent. His body went limp over mine, causing a friction between my legs. I blushed, biting my lip. It felt good, I couldn't help bucking my hips to feel more.

"Let's keep this between us." He whispered against my skin.

In response, I merely removed his hood and combed his hair with my fingers. I had a feeling he'd say that. I kissed his forehead, allowing him to move his face between my breasts. "I know."

-X-

Sakaki was typing on his high tech computer, when the director walked in. He looked away from his screen, eyeing the man. "Johannes, welcome."

"Doctor." Johannes greeted him. "I heard you've been on a couple of excursions with Soma, and (Y/n)..."

Sakaki had his usual smile. "Really now? I don't recall keeping it a secret."

"I have suspicions, I'd like you to clarify them..." The director eyed the director with great interest.

Sakaki hummed, when a notification rang on his computer. "Ah! Just what I was looking for... Well Johannes, I'll do what I can to help you. What is it you need clarifying?"

"About (Y/n), is she ready?" When Sakaki glanced at him, the director smiled. "I do recall sending you a file a while ago, regarding the project her parents were working on. Have you found anything interesting?"

Sakaki typed on his computer, opening said file. "All I can is, it is true she's immune by the orgetails, because of the core they had her eat in the past... However, as I'm sure you already know, we went out to test out the experiment with a Zygote. It failed with their species."

Johannes nodded. "I see. I'm assuming, the only way for her to be immune to the species, is by devouring it's core?"

"I'd say that's the way to go." Sakaki nodded with him. "But the core-I don't know how we can have her eat something like that..."

"I'm sure you'll find a way, Doctor." Johannes smiled and turned away. With that final word, he left the room, leaving Sakaki wondering how Soma would take this.

-X-

When I woke up the next day, I spotted Soma already up and ready to leave. I sat up, rubbing my eyes. "Soma..."

"I'm leaving." He replied, walking towards the door. I couldn't help smiling. Despite what happened earlier, Soma was still the same. I hurried after him, skipping more happily than usual. Soma noticed this as we entered the elevator, then sighed. "What is it?"

"Hm? Nothing." I laid my head on his shoulder, a smile still on my face.

Soma said nothing, deciding not to question it. When I walked him to the den entrance, he glanced at me. "Go somewhere, instead of sitting there doing nothing."

"But I'm not doing nothing, I'm waiting for your return. Come back home safely!" I smiled cheerfully.

Soma huffed, leaving soon after. I let out a small giggle. I truly loved the man. When I turned around, I did a double take when spotting the director. He was watching me with a light smile. "Director?"

"(Y/n), I'd like to speak with you. Won't you come with me?" His eyes betrayed the smile on his face. He was definitely up to something. I nodded however, then followed him to his office.

Upon arriving, he sat at his desk, smiling kindly at me. I stood before his desk, hands casually behind my back. "First, I want to thank you for always being there for Soma. Since the lost of his mother, my wife, he's been... Well, I'm sure you know."

I did knew, however, as a father, he didn't help at all. His mother was gone, his father was too driven in his work to care for Soma's well-being... I was the only one there for him and always by his side. Not that I minded, I had him to myself.

"Also, I came across something interesting. Come and take a look..." He clicked a button on his laptop, sitting back on his chair. I went around his desk, looking over the screen. From the looks of it, they were reports and summaries of an experiment. It brought a thought to mind, when the director spoke. "These are from the project your parents were working on long ago. After the incident, and before I took you in, these reports were found. If you like, I can send them to your email, so you can review them on your own."

I nodded, my eyes still on the screen. There were many reports, I wanted to read them all. "Thank you, I'd like that."

He nodded and I moved away. "Now, I wanted to speak with you about your... Case."

I stared at him when I stood before his desk. It's possible he's been speaking with Sakaki. It made me wonder if he's been curious about it for a while. "Yes?"

"I'm sure your excursions have shown that you're exempt from certain species of aragami. Now, do you know why?" He leaned over his desk, eyeing me curiously.

"I... I have a theory but..." I began.

"And what would that be?"

"The core, I thought at one point it may have been digested inside me for me not to be eaten. But, I don't know." I shrugged.

"Your thought is correct." His lips twitched when my eyes widened. "Your parents had somehow managed to do that with you. If in the future we manage to find out how, will you be willing to eat another core?"

"Uh..." I stared at him. I've seen what the core looks like, there's no way I could eat something like that. I doubt it was even edible!

Johannes chuckled at me. "Don't worry about it much for now. Keep in mind though, this may help with humanity find a better living in this world. Especially for those who live outside these walls."

I frowned at the thought of the people out there facing danger every minute of their lives. The outer ghetto had it easy, since there are god eaters on guard. Still, even they get attacked from time to time. "I see."

"Also, Soma wouldn't have to go out as much." That grabbed my attention, which made the director's eyes twinkle. "He is an exceptional God eater, the best and the original. He is constantly out there fighting them. I'm sure you would like it very much for him to be home more often..."

The thought tempted me, especially since we shared passionate kisses before. But somehow, I couldn't help thinking the director had something else in mind. I sighed. "That would be nice."

"I agree. Now then, I know you'll be waiting for Soma's return by the entrance, so I'll end it here. I thank you for this small chat. I'll send over the reports as soon as possible. I hope we can chat like this again in the future."

I politely smiled before taking my leave, missing his lips curl into a smirk.

-X-

Sakaki hummed after reading over a document, then glanced at the cores on the table nearby. "If that's the case..."

Sakuya entered the room, a serious look on her face. "Doctor, sorry for coming suddenly..."

"That's alright, I see you have something serious to ask..." Sakaki smiled nonetheless, despite her look.

She nodded. "I have to head out soon, so I'll keep it brief. About (Y/n), I can't help but think you, and maybe the director, has something else in mind for her. After what I've witnessed, it seems (Y/n) is capable of neutralizing the aragami. But I know for sure Soma doesn't and wouldn't like the idea of you using her as a test subject. I don't know what you have planned, but please keep her safe."

Sakaki stared at her, then nodded. "I understand your concern, but I can assure you, I have no intent of putting her in harm's way, without anyone there to protect her. That's why I've had you and Soma come along. Not only is (Y/n) special as a god eater, she's special to me too. I've helped raised her from time to time, so I wouldn't want anything to happen to her."

Sakuya blinked at this. "You've raised her? She never mentioned..."

"Oh, it was while she was still so young, I doubt she remembers!" Sakaki smiled amusingly. "Don't worry about (Y/n), she has Soma by her side."

"That's the thing. Our unit has been going out more often, Soma won't be around as much if this continues. If anything happens to her while he's out..." Sakuya frowned at the thought.

Sakaki glanced at the cores. A thought came to mind. "If anything were to happen to her, it wouldn't be done by the aragami. I think I've found a way to keep all aragami away from (Y/n)..."

Sakuya widened her eyes. "You have?"

"Can't give any specific details yet, since I have yet to try it out. I'll keep you posted, since you're a part of this now." Sakaki looked at the document. "For now, we will leave it at that. I'm sure you have to head out now. I'll keep an eye on (Y/n). I have to speak with her anyway, so rest assured!"

Sakuya nodded, leaving the room with hopeful eyes. Sakaki stared at a sentence on the document. "'Road back to the past', huh?"


	8. 8

It's been a week since I had last spoken with Sakaki and Johannes. From what I heard from Tsubaki, Sakaki has been diligently working on my case, and the director has been out on a business trip. Whatever the case, I hope good things will come of this.

That aside, this past week has been lovely. Every time Soma would return from his missions, we would make out a little in his room, then cuddle to sleep. Even better, at one point we even made out in his shower. With our underwear on of course. Still, it was steps closer to building a romantic future with him. The thought made me jittery inside, as I waited for Soma by the entrance.

It was almost midnight when Soma finally returned from his mission. He was getting agitated coming up empty. When he entered the den, he spotted me coming towards him with open arms. He grunted when I jumped on him. "Welcome back Soma!"

"Did you have to jump on me?" He grumbled against my chest. I giggled and held onto him as he held my waist. He then placed me down, nearly sighing when spotting Hibari smiling at us in amusement. "Did you eat something?"

"I don't like eating the cob, I had plenty to drink though!" I stepped away, hands folded casually behind my back.

He sighed. "Whatever, let's go." I hummed as I followed him back to his room. I stared at his back, wondering why he came back so late. Lindow and Sakuya had arrived way before he did. The director came to mind, I couldn't help sighing at the thought of him. He was still probably sending Soma on those search missions.

When we entered his room, the door slid close and Soma sat back on the couch. The room was dark, he leaned his head back, letting out a deep breath and closing his eyes. I followed, only to straddle his lap. He opened his eyes, eyeing me blankly. "What are you doing?"

"You Ok? You came back later than usual..." I massaged his shoulders, leaning forward to peck his cheek.

He closed his eyes. "Don't worry about it."

I giggled. "That's a first, you usually just say 'nothing happened' or 'the same as usual'. Is there any point on sending you on these missions by yourself? You keep coming back empty handed. The director should just leave it to the research unit..."

"Shut up, (Y/n)." He grumbled.

"If it's supposedly for the sake of mankind, and for the aegis project, then he shouldn't keep it a secret..."

"Shut it."

"We're all in this situation together, I think you deserve a break and have other people pitch in since you're human too, you can get tired too..."

"SHUT. UP."

"Besides, you're missing all the good things I find around your room sometimes. Like that t-shirt I've never seen you wear, or the boxers you've worn and never washed... They should install your own washer machine in here so people won't see the types of stuff you wear~"

"Will you shut the fuck up?"

"You know I'm right~" I grinned and kissed his lips. No matter how pissed he can get, he can never truly be mad at me.

He sighed, allowing me to kiss around his face. His glare softened as I kissed between his brow, then trailed my kisses down to his neck. He took a deep breath, slowly wrapping his arms around my waist, and pulling me close.

When our waists brushed, the friction caused me to bite my lip. I let out a breath against his neck, feeling him shift beneath me. I closed my eyes, faintly hearing his calm heart beat, as I gently kissed his neck. His hands moved to cup my bottom, gently squeezing.

When I moved to face him, he slowly opened his eyes, then gently returned my kisses. I nearly sighed in content. I really loved him. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else where he couldn't find me. I wanted him to be mine, even if it meant having a child with him. The thought made me shudder. Even though he would probably never admit it, I hoped he shared the same feelings. When I moved away, I faced him with determined eyes. He stared back, watching me expectantly. I opened my mouth. "Soma, I want you to make me yours."

His eyes bulged, to the point it was hard for me to hold back a laugh. His lips parted and a pink hue appeared on his cheeks. He looked so cute. "You're serious-now?"

"I would like that." I smiled softly, sitting back and removing my shirt. Soma's eyes roamed to my chest when I threw the shirt away. "I want to be yours, and only yours. I want you to belong to me too, if you'll let me have you..."

He stared at me, as my fingers found the buttons on his shirt, removing them one by one. He shook his head. "It's too soon. We can't be doing this now..."

"I love you, Soma." I whispered against his neck, kissing him there. He gulped when I opened his shirt, exposing his bare skin. My hands felt around his abdomen, massaging over his tense muscles. My hands massaged up to his shoulders, all the while removing his shirt and coat.

Soma took a deep breath when I expose his shoulders. "Fine, just... I'll make you mine, but that's it."

I smiled happily, quickly getting up to remove my clothes. Soma stood on the couch, removing his tops and unzipping his pants. He pushed his bottoms past his knees, then glanced at me. He blushed at my bare body, as I straddled his waist again. His member hardened as he looked over me, then he slowly held onto my waist.

I held onto his shoulders as I positioned myself over him. When he brushed against me, I reached down and moved him to my entrance. I noticed him bite his lip as I handled him. I braced myself, then lowered onto his length.

"Mm!" I held back a painful moan and buried my face into his neck. Soma hissed, tightening his hold on me and bringing me closer. He panted, holding back his moans as I tightened around him. He bucked his hips, trying to fully envelope himself. He was already in deep, causing pleasure to soon follow. "Soma-"

"Shhh-No, don't talk... Just-!" He panted, gripping my waist tighter. I couldn't help my smile, nor the tear down my cheek. He was finally mine, and I his. I moved over him, shifting my hips to move off him. He pulled my waist back. "No, stay there...!"

"We can continue on the bed, if you want..." I whispered against his neck, planting a kiss there.

Soma panted, not allowing me to move as he kicked off the rest of his clothes. I gasped when he stood up, carrying me to the bed. Not once were we pulled apart, as he laid me down. The movement had me parting my lips in pleasure, when he laid his body over mine. I hugged his neck, combing my fingers through his hair. His breath was by my ear, before he began to move.

His pace was slow, before he moved his hips earnestly. I panted with him, keeping up with his thrusting. He pressed himself against me, making sure there was no space between us. I bucked my hips to help him go deeper, hitting a spot that had me biting my lip to hold back a moan.

After our love making, I was glad I didn't miss his words before we fell into a deep sleep. "I love you too."

-X-

Sakaki gently squeezed the core in his hand. It was smooth and squishy, like squeezing jello. After boiling it for days at extremely high temperatures, according to the reports, it was now soft enough to eat. However, he wasn't planning on doing so. He placed the core back in its container, then glanced at his computer. "Alright, time bring her in."

-X-

I squealed at the cold water, before it gradually turned warm. "Don't do that Soma! It was too cold!"

Soma paid me no heed, as he moved us under the shower head. This time, we had no underwear. He hugged me from behind, bringing us flush together. "Don't be a baby."

I pouted, murmuring I wasn't, then rested my head back on his shoulder. The sounds of rushing water were soothing, as his hands trailed down to my waist. I blinked when he pressed me against the cold wall, granting him more access to the water. I shivered. "S-soma! It's cold!"

He moved my hair aside, then whispered in my ear. "Shut up."

I sighed at his lips pressing against my skin. His hand moved between my legs, cupping my core, when his terminal light up. There was a call. "What- who is that?"

"Finish up." Soma moved away, his warmth leaving along with him, as he walked towards the terminal. I pouted again, decided to ignore the lingering arousal.

"What is it?" Soma replied when he opened the call.

"Ah Soma! Is (Y/n) there? Could you let her know to come by my lab? I have something to show her!" Sakaki said cheerfully.

"What for?" Soma narrowed his brow.

"I'll be there Sakaki!" I yelled out, rinsing off the soap over my body.

Soma glared my way, when Sakaki chuckled. "Good morning, (Y/n)! And great, I'll see you then!"

When he hung up, I was wrapping a towel around myself and looking around for some spare clothes. Soma pulled on his own clothes. "Let's go."

"Wait, you're coming with me?" I watched him adjust his coat, then give me a look. "Ah never mind."

-X-

"I'm glad you're here! I do apologize for not being in contact with you, (Y/n), I've been quite busy with your case." Sakaki explained as he sat at the couch with us. "But I finally finished with what I've been working on, and wanted to show you how it came out."

"What are you talking about Sakaki?" Soma asked, arms crossed over his chest.

"Oh, I'm assuming you never told him (Y/n)?" Sakaki glanced at me.

Soma followed his gaze, narrowing his brow. I gulped. "Um, honestly, I don't what you're talking about either doctor."

"Oh? I thought you received the reports from the director. If you read them over, you would've known that consuming the core gives you immunity, or exemption, from aragami."

"Say what now?" I blinked at the news. I never gotten around the reports, since I've been preoccupied with Soma. But to think my random thought was true and proven? I shook my head. "So, what you're saying is... Or what I'm here for-"

"Wait a minute." Soma stopped me. "You mean (Y/n) ate a core before?"

"That's correct. Luckily, the reports explained how they did it, which brings me to my next subject..." We watched him pull out a container, then placed it on the table. For some reason, a smell was wafting from it, causing my mouth to water. "This here is a Zygote core, after being boiled at high temperatures for this past week. The reports say that it's soft enough to chew, but I'm not sure if it's edible. Also, I read there was a side effect to eating these..."

Soma glared as Sakaki revealed the amber core. My eyes widened. "You're gonna make (Y/n) eat-!"

His eyes widened when I suddenly snatched the core. Sakaki gaped as I savagely ate the core like a starved animal.

I shuddered after devouring it. Soma watched as I panted, staring at my palms where the core use to be. What really shocked him, was the color of my eyes. They were glowing the same color of an orgetail, before shifting to the crimson color of a Zygote. When they returned to normal, I blinked a few times. "Huh? Wait, where's the core?"

"You... Ate it." Sakaki replied simply.


	9. 9

I stared with wide eyes. "I what?"

"You ate it." Sakaki cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. "That right there, is the side effect."

"(Y/n)?" Soma looked into my eyes, checking if they really were normal, before glancing at the doctor. "What happened just now Sakaki?"

"Well, after further research with the reports, just like you Soma, (Y/n)'s mother continued their project while she was pregnant with her. The Oracle cells fused differently with (Y/n), creating a whole different bias factor. She still has enhanced abilities, but also immunity from the aragami. They would consider her as their own, like a mother or a queen bee."

"A mother?" I repeated his words. That explained why the orgetail from before was nuzzling me. If it weren't for their scary features, I would have found it cute.

Sakaki nodded. "The side effect however, as you can see, is the way she ate it. Her behavior was the same as an aragami attacking a different species. I'm not saying that she is, but it was almost like she was an aragami." Soma gave him a withering glare, as I stared at my lap. This was unbelievable.

Sakaki stood from his seat, going over to his computer to type something in. "Now Soma, I know you have a problem with (Y/n) leaving these walls, but I think (Y/n) is curious about this project I'm working on."

"As if we could stop at this point." Soma grumbled.

Sakaki smiled. "Then I hope we can test this out again. It's noon now, shall we go out? I'm sure you would like to come along Soma, while you're still free."

"Yeah, we'll meet you at the entrance." Soma grabbed my wrist, pulling me from the couch.

"Oh! By the way (Y/n), you are positively glowing today. Did you shower with my new soap I invented?" Sakaki asked curiously.

I blushed heavily, knowing exactly what caused the glow. Also, his soap cleans well, but the smell is horrid. "Ah nothing! See ya!"

Sakaki blinked as we left in a hurry, when he rubbed his chin. "Maybe it was another side effect of the core..."

-X-

Soma took me to his room, leading me to the sink. "Wash up."

I did as told, washing my mouth and hands. From what I could remember, the core was smooth and warm. I was in a trance after I first looked at it, then it was gone. I seriously ate an aragami core. The smell that came off it, it smelled really good. I wanted more.

Soma shook me from my thoughts, eyeing me suspiciously. "(Y/n)? Your eyes..."

"Huh?" I glanced at the mirror, then widened my crimson eyes. They looked like the Zygotes. When I blinked, they were back to their original human color. "What was that?"

"What were you thinking about?" Soma asked, moving me away from the mirror. His hold was tense.

"The core, and how good it smelled... I feel like, I want more." I closed my eyes, shaking the thoughts away. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"There's nothing wrong with you, it's just a side effect from eating it. Come on, let's go meet with Sakaki." He took my hand, gently squeezing the limb. I squeezed back, smiling at his concern.

-X-

"Well, this is interesting! I'm glad I'm getting the chance to see it first hand." Lindow smiled after hearing the objective of our adventure. Thankfully Sakuya had already told him about my case, saving me and Sakaki the time to explain. I found it exciting to have the well-spoken first unit to be accompanying us. Lindow drove the truck out towards the Sunken grid, with Sakuya sitting in the front with him, as the rest of us sat in the back.

Soma and I sat together, while Sakaki typed away on his laptop. I wanted to ask him something, now would be a good time. "Sakaki, I wanted to ask you this, but can anyone, or any pregnant woman, eat a core and be immune to aragami?"

"Ah, a very good question, (Y/n). You know, I had that same thought as I read over the reports, but apparently, it doesn't work that way." He sighed, stopping his typing for a moment. "So far, since they are many reports I haven't read yet, I found out your parents had already done experiments on their bodies, so they weren't considered ordinary people. Once I find out what they've done, I may possibly find a way for everyone to be immune to Aragami."

The thought sounded like a peaceful solution to the world. Since trying to erase the aragami from the planet seems impossible, this was a good alternative. "Ok. So, from what you can tell, who can eat the core?"

"Honestly, the only ones that can be immune at this point, are the children you may produce one day. If you plan to have children that is..." Sakaki chuckled at my red face.

Lindow and Sakuya also shared a look of amusement, as the Sunken grid came into view.

-X-

Today was to find the Zygote said to be around here and find out if eating it's core prevented me from being eaten by their species. What we didn't expect however, was the small herd of orgetails in the area.

When we had journeyed further into the grid, the herd surprised us by their roars, causing the god eaters to ready their weapons. Sakaki stopped them, watching the herd crowd around me. They completely ignored the others, crowding around me like a shepherd to their flock. Lindow was the most surprised, as they nudged and snuggled to my side. Despite their existence, I couldn't help giggling.

Soma rolled his eyes at the scene, his brows coming together in a scowl. "Let's go, we're not here to watch you play with them."

"As entertaining as this looks, he's right (Y/n). Let's continue our search." Sakaki said before walking ahead. Soma followed, ushering me along after pulling me away from the herd. Sakuya and Lindow watched the herd follow me, with their weapons still at the ready. When Sakaki noticed this, he smiled sheepishly. "I suppose we shouldn't mind their company."

"I still can't believe this..." Lindow said under his breath, walking beside the doctor. I looked over my shoulder. I couldn't help wanting to ride one. When Soma let go of my arm, I quickly hopped over one of their backs, gripping their fur tightly. Lindow widened his eyes. "Whoa (Y/n)! That's going way too far!"

"But it's ok right? I'm immune to them!" I giggled when it shook it's fur beneath me.

"Sweetheart, you're going to give us a heart attack, please get down..." Sakuya frowned and motioned me to get off.

"It's only for a little bit, see? They don't mind!" I petted them and pulled at their fur. It shook itself again.

Sakaki chuckled merrily. "I'm pretty sure they don't mind, (Y/n). But-"

"GET THE HELL OFF THAT THING. NOW." Soma growled menacingly.

I flinched, glancing at him with wide eyes. Sakaki grimaced when the orgetails growled his way, turning to him. "Oh dear..."

"(Y/n), you may want to get off..." Lindow gripped his weapon when they growled.

I gulped, holding back tears as I got off. I looked into the orgetails eyes, feeling my vision shift. "Leave."

The herd wasted no time and ran off in a different direction. I watched them go, my vision returning to normal. My heart was aching. Soma has never spoken to me like that. His usual growls were nothing compared to this. I hugged myself and walked ahead.

"Soma, you didn't have to say it like that..." Sakuya whispered to him, as Sakaki and I walked ahead.

Soma glared harshly at her. "Mind your own business."

Sakuya blinked as he walked ahead, with a dangerous look in his eyes. Lindow came to her side, watching him. "He's a lot more overprotective than we thought huh?"

"Still, even (Y/n) was surprised..." Sakuya frowned at the thought of me.

"And that's the problem." Lindow said gravely.

When we finally found the Zygote, it was eating away at whatever it found on the ground, then it turned to us. Lindow and Sakuya raised their weapons, only to find it lowering to the ground when I came close. "So it's true..." Sakuya murmured under her breath.

Sakaki smiled in triumph, then typed on his laptop. "This is extraordinary...!"

Lindow glanced at Soma, who was glaring daggers at the aragami. "Alright, you can get away from it, (Y/n)."

I glanced at the doctor. "Is that all Sakaki?"

"Actually, could you do one more thing for me?"

"What? It's obvious they won't attack her. There's nothing more to prove here. Let's go (Y/n)." Soma called for me again.

I ignored him. "What do you mean?"

"I noticed earlier you told the herd of orgetails to leave by command. Could you do that again with this one?" The doctor asked.

I glanced at the Zygote, petting the white snout of it. I stared into its eyes, again my vision began to shift.

"(Y/n)!" Soma called out.

I sighed, glaring at his direction. Not only did Lindow blink at the aragami floating higher in the air, but my eyes glowed the same crimson color of the enemy. "Soma, I understand you hate the aragami, but you really don't have to use that tone of voice with me..."

"(Y/n), I told you to listen to me while we're out here, and you aren't doing that. So get away from that thing, so I can kill it." Soma jabbed his god arc at the aragami, challenging it as it roared at him.

"Enough you two." Sakuya called out to us.

I sighed, glancing at the aragami again. It's one eye turned to me. "Leave."

It snorted, then flew higher into the sky. Lindow and Soma lowered their weapons, just as Sakaki finished typing and closed his laptop. "Ok, I think that's enough for today. Let's head back now."

Sakuya walked ahead with the doctor, leaving Lindow watching the back. I walked along, not sparing a glance at Soma. From what I can tell, his tight grip on his god arc showed how pissed he was. I sighed, hugging my arms.

-X-

When we returned, Hibari mentioned from her desk that the first unit had a mission waiting for them. Lindow and Sakuya sighed. "Slave drivers... Ah well, can't be helped. Let's go guys." Lindow walked back to the entrance as Sakuya grabbed the mission details.

I frowned, stopping Soma before he could leave. "Soma, I-"

"I don't want to see you here when I get back. Stay in the room, we'll talk later." Soma said sternly, then left without another word.

I watched him leave, when Sakuya came and placed a hand on my shoulder. "(Y/n)?"

"I... Think he hates me now..." I sniffled. I haven't spoken to him since we left the grid, and didn't sit with him on the way back. I understood why he would be angry, since I've always been by his side. Still, he frightened me with his tone earlier, he couldn't blame me.

She smiled sadly, patting my back. "No, don't think like that. You're the only one that understands him perfectly. He could never hate you after all these years. Cheer up, ok? I'm sure fighting some aragami will blow off some steam."

I smiled a little, then watched her leave after the others. With a sigh, I decided to talk with Sakaki. I did need a little cheering up. Knowing Soma as well as I do, one must never engage him with negative emotions.

-X-

I found Sakaki in his lab, and he looked up from his computer. "(Y/n), are you feeling alright?"

"Emotionally, no." I shook my head, sitting at his couches.

Sakaki smiled sadly, when a thought came to mind. "You know, I remember a time Soma and you fought as children. You were still so young, so the fight was too cute to be serious. Soma wanted to sleep with you, yet you wanted to sleep by yourself, 'like a big girl' you once said."

I giggled as he smiled at the memory. "Yeah, he was mad at me for a few hours the next day. I remembered promising him that I would sleep beside him from then on. You know, you were never good with babysitting. I was always getting away with drawing over your work~"

"I remember that too-Wait! You remember me babysitting you?" His brows rose in surprise.

I smiled affectionately. "You took better care of me than the director, why wouldn't I remember? I always liked you better, since you tried your best to keep us happy."

The man smiled sheepishly. "Actually, I tried my best not to make you cry. You specifically peed every time, I always had to change you right afterwards!"

I gasped. "You promised you wouldn't mention that again!"

"You remember that too?!" Sakaki gaped. We shared looks, before laughing. I was still giggling when Sakaki, cleared his throat. "Well, don't you worry. I'm sure Soma won't hate you forever. He cares for you very much."

I nodded, a smile on my face. "Yeah, I know."


End file.
